


The Voltron Intervention

by ptw30



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Everyone gangs up on Shiro, F/M, Family Fluff, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Team as Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, shallura - Freeform, side klance - Freeform, sometimes you just need a little push
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 19:09:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10646208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ptw30/pseuds/ptw30
Summary: The Paladins realize the dance Shiro and Allura are playing around their feelings and decide to take matters into their own paws. Lance has the best plan, of course, and hey - he might even take his own advice.





	The Voltron Intervention

**Author's Note:**

> I felt the need to write some Shallura fluff, and - well, it ended up becoming Paladin fluff. Go figure.

The team first noticed during movie night.

Movie nights always occurred after a hard battle. The team remained on edge, unable to relax or sleep, so Pidge took to the common room with her laptop and projected a film onto the wall. Hunk made the snacks. Lance brought the pillows, and the rest staggered into the room in drips and drabs. Eventually, Pidge ended up passed out between Allura and Shiro, while Keith burrowed into Shiro’s right side and Hunk into Allura’s left. Lance sat between the two “space parents” on the floor, legs crossed, his back pressing against Pidge’s legs. 

So he had a front-row seat when Shiro’s human fingers shifted upon Pidge’s lap and ever so slightly, threaded with Allura’s. 

Neither adults said anything, just continued to watch the movie in a comfortable silence, keeping faithful vigil over their charges – until Coran’s loud snoring woke them all. Shiro’s and Allura’s hands quickly separated after that. 

Tiny actions and barely noticeable ministrations over the next few months caught the whole team’s attention. Allura blushed, Shiro’s fingers brushing hers when he handed her a cup of nunvill. Every time Allura leaned over the back of Shiro’s chair on the bridge, she gripped his shoulders and gave them a tiny squeeze. Before every battle, Shiro always glanced back at Allura, just one more time in case it was their last.

And none of them missed the frustrated huffs from Coran when he saw those little hints. 

Every. Single. Time. 

Lance saw it all – he’d have to blind to miss it – but thankfully, he wasn’t the only one. Pidge stuck out her tongue. Hunk pretended not to notice, and socially awkward Keith actually brought it up. The four younger paladins stood off to the side, watching as Shiro and Allura strategized their training exercises for the week. Allura wore her hair down and kept twirling it about her fingers or pushing a stubborn strand behind her ear, while Shiro smiled a stupid, enamored grin that shouldn’t have been allowed in public. 

Keith growled, “We have to do something before we all gag.”

“Thank you!” Hunk seized Keith by the shoulders and squeezed him like a favorite plushie. “I can’t watch this anymore. It’s just painful.”

“But what do we do?” Pidge scowled. “They’re like, adults, y’know? Shouldn’t they know how to deal with this stuff?”

“Clearly not,” Lance huffed, rubbing his hands together. “Shiro doesn’t have his shit together enough to make a move, and Allura doesn’t realize how pathetic he’s being.”

“Hey!”

“Oh, come on, Keef. She’s got him by the quiznak.”

Keith rolled his eyes, hands permanent glued in the crevasses of his elbows. “You’re still not using that word correctly.”

“Maybe we should get the mice?” Pidge offered. “Tell them to lock Shiro and Allura in a closet?”

“Ooh! Ooh! Let’s make them a romantic food goo dinner on the bridge,” Hunk added. 

“…possibly get Coran out of the room?” Keith wondered. “Because he looks like he’s two ticks away from jumping Shiro.”

Sure enough, Coran stood just inside the entryway of the common room, scanner forgotten in his hand, growl already reverberating on his lips. 

“No, ew, maybe,” Lance replied to each, a sinister little smirk already edging onto his lips. “Guys, we just have to corner one of them and convince him or her to make The Move.”

Keith’s shoulders heaved with a heavy sigh. “And you have just the hair-brain scheme, don’t you?”

“I do,” Lance admitted, hitting Keith’s shoulder with his own, “but it’s going to take all of us working as one unit.”

“So, essentially, we need Voltron?” Hunk asked. 

“Yes – but without the decisive head.”

The three paladins glared at Lance with varying ranges of hostility before as one, they began to smile. 

The plan took several days to execute since it needed to be coordinated perfectly, and the right opportunity presented itself after training halted on the fifth day. 

“All right. Great workout today, guys,” Shiro complimented from his position inside the head of Voltron. “You really put all your effort into it.”

The excitement and praise that came from Shiro after their training session almost deterred the younger paladins from their task, but Lance held strong. Through their bond, he demanded the others follow his lead – not Shiro’s. 

When Shiro continued, “Let’s disband and get back to the castle,” Black sent a pulse of energy through the bond, which usually signaled the separation of Voltron. Today, the Black Paladin and Lion met resistance, and as one, the other four paladins returned a surge of energy that meant one thing. 

_No._

Shiro’s bewildered face appeared on Lance’s screen. “Uh, guys? Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine, Shiro.” Pidge’s image joined his. “We just want to have a word with you.”

“Yeah,” Hunk added, his own video connection opening. “This is an intervention.”

“A Voltron Intervention,” Lance announced, putting all the smugness he felt into his voice. “We’re not letting you and Black get away until you hear what we have to say.”

That’s what Shiro got from being the decisive head and always giving the orders. 

Ironically, Shiro responded with good-natured laughter. “So you want the rest of the day off? Is that it? Or another trip to the space mall?”

A proud surge of energy pulsated through their bond – Shiro was pleased they worked together to come up with a plan. Lance internally winced. The Black Paladin probably wouldn’t be after so proud once they dropped the bomb. 

“This is about you and Allura,” Keith said without preamble, voice exasperated and dry. All the amusement in the bond immediately fizzled. “You guys need to get it together, or Pidge is going to have the mice lock you in a closet.”

“With Allura, Keith!” Lance exasperated. “You missed that part.”

“I still vote for the food goo romantic dinner,” Hunk chipped in.

“Food goo is not romantic,” Pidge interjected. “Tell him, Shiro.”

But Shiro was silent, expression closed off and tense. His words came slow and were carefully chosen. “I…don’t see how this is any of your business, guys.”

“Dude, you and Allura are choking us with your unresolved sexual tension,” Lance complained, sighing loudly into his helmet. “You’ve got to resolve it – now – before we all die from disgust.”

“There’s no unresolved – ”

“Coran huffs every time you guys make googly eyes at once another,” Hunk interrupted. 

“Look, what Coran thinks he sees – ”

Pidge rolled her eyes. “You helped her wash the mice.”

“It needed to be done,” Shiro defended, though his voice sounded weak and lame, like he didn’t even believe his words. “Not every task on the ship can be – ”

Lance pulled out their trump card. “Keith noticed it!”

“What! Lance!”

“And if Keith noticed it, you know it must be bad. He’s relationship blind.”

Shiro shot a glance at Keith, betrayal flashing through his eyes. It only exacerbated when Keith responded with a helpless shrug and a subsequent glower at Lance. 

“I’m not relationship blind,” Keith challenged. “I just don’t flirt with every lifeform this side of Arus.” 

“Are you jealous?” Lance teased.

“What! No!” Oh, that blush was delightfully. “W-Why would I be – ”

“All right!” With a measured exhale, Shiro managed to keep control of his exasperation and send each one of them a pointed glower. “Look, I appreciate all your concern, but Allura and I – whatever we – our relationship – or lack thereof – it’s not up for discussion.”

“Hey, Shiro,” Hunk called, tentative but persistent. “Y’know, we don’t have to follow you. Just because you’re the Black Paladin and the ‘decisive head of Voltron –’” He used air quotes. “ – doesn’t give you automatic leadership rights. We choose to listen to you. You could afford us the same courtesy.”

Oh, Lance could just hug Hunk right then and there. 

Shiro fell back against his seat, blinking as if splashed with a cool bucket of rationality. It took longer than Lance thought, Shiro’s mind reeling at the thought of divulging such personal information, to finally surrender.

Guilt crept up on Lance. 

Shiro had been captured by the Galra, experimented on, tortured, his mind fractured into a million pieces. He’d been violated in such a private way that when Lance thought about it, shivers crawled up his spine and disgust warmed the back of his throat. 

He briefly wondered if instead of a full-on assault like this, perhaps a private conversation would have been a better tactic. Perhaps he should have asked Keith to speak with Shiro? But Keith was rather ignorant in this area, Lance lamented greatly, and in a private conversation, Shiro would have found an avenue to escape.

While it was uncomfortable for Shiro – for all of them, really – they had no other choice but to perform a Voltron Intervention. It was for the good of the pride, especially Shiro. 

Eventually Shiro relented with a loud exhale, his body going limp from the release, and though he shook his head, he still uttered, “I’m not – You guys know I’m not all…here. I-I’ve never really gotten a handle on what the Galra did to me…” His voice trailed off, to which Lance shrugged. 

“Girls like a fixer-upper, someone they think they can save.”

Pidge scoffed; Keith rolled his eyes. 

“What? It’s true. Look at Keith. He’s in terrible shape, but I can work with that.”

Keith choked while Hunk leaned forward, chin propped upon his fist. “I think what Lance is trying to say is, no one’s perfect, Shiro. Not even Allura. She puts on a strong front, but between losing her planet and then killing her dad – you both need a little TLC.”

“But she’s a princess, Hunk.”

“Of a dead planet,” Pidge scoffed. “And don’t let the accent fool you. She’s ruthless. Lance, did you know Allura was the one who put that dye in your face cream?”

“What!”

“Shiro?” Keith called over the mics, and Lance returned his gaze back to their leader, who stared up at the ceiling of his cockpit with a such a raw expression, it hurt. “It’s – Allura, she’s – y’know…nice. I’m sure if you talked to her about this, she’d –” 

“What happens if I screw it up?” Shiro murmured. “I’m not – I’m not good with long-term relationships, Keith. You remember how my relationships went back at the garrison. And this is so much more complicated. If it doesn’t work out, what will happen to the team? To all of you?”

The four younger paladins shot each other questioning looks before Lance threw up his fist. “Dibs on Black Lion!”

“What? No way!” Hunk complained. “You can’t call dibs on a mystical-mechanical lion.”

“And besides, how do you think that makes Blue feel?” Oh, great. Now Lance was getting lectured by a robot-has-more-feelings-than-you Keith. 

In the back of Lance’s mind, Blue seemed amused, though she certainly conveyed what would happen to him if he ever so much as glanced at the Black Lion with intention. 

“It wouldn’t be your fault, y’know,” Hunk stepped in with an encouraging smile. “Things don’t work out sometimes. It happens. It doesn’t mean we’d kick you out of the castle for it.”

Pidge nodded. “Yeah, though it would totally be your fault.”

“Oh, yeah. Totally.”

“Hold the teleduv.” Lance put up a hand toward each of them. “Allura totally picked Shiro over me, so we clearly know she doesn’t make the best life choices when it comes to romance. So we can’t just assume that their hypothetical break-up would be Shiro’s fault.”

“Shiro’s got game,” Keith agreed. 

“With you as his wingman?” Lance laughed. “He probably didn’t get laid at all during his years at the garrison.”

Keith’s eyes flared. “Did _you?”_

“As a matter of fact – ”

“If by ‘laid’ you mean, ‘some girl decked him once,’ then yes, Lance got laid…out.”

“Hunk!” 

“All right!” Shiro snapped, and all the paladins returned their focus to him. “Are you done?”

“Are you going to speak with Allura?” Lance challenged, enjoying the flushed cheeks upon his usual stoic leader. 

Shiro hesitated and shrugged. “I-I don’t know. Maybe…? I still…this isn’t something to rush or force. I want – I don’t want to screw this up…for all of us. We have to be able to form Voltron.”

“But maybe we won’t be able to if you’re all hung up on Allura.”

“Or if we all die from tripping over your mutual pining,” Pidge agreed. 

“Yeah, and y’know, you deserve to be happy, Shiro,” Hunk insisted. “You and Allura – maybe, hopefully, together – like a good space macaroni and cheese.”

Shiro’s cheeks darkened even more, taking on the same color as the lights in his cockpit, and then Lance cocked his head to the side when Shiro glanced over at him. A moment later, Shiro’s gaze whipped back to Keith, who squirmed in his seat.

“Fine, fine,” Shiro relented, putting up both hands. “I’ll at least think about it, okay?”

That was really all they could ask for, so Lance nodded and turned to the others. “Think we should let Black and Shiro go?”

Before the others could respond, Shiro interjected, “Yeah, about holding me hostage like this?” A smug amusement returned to Shiro’s voice, and then suddenly, Voltron’s collective bond pulsated with a vibrant, overwhelming force. It was cool and rushing, sweeping through their bodies and entangling their lions. Then it thrust. 

Lance – and Blue – fell hard, slamming to the ground without warning. With a shrieking crash, Red landed on top of Blue, Keith groaning through the commlink. To the left of them, Hunk shouted and Pidge yelped as they tumbled into a pile of their own. The Black Lion dropped to the space between them, head held high, Shiro’s admonishing delight palpable in their bond. 

“Yeah, don’t do that again,” he warned, and though there was definite purpose to his words, they were said with little heat. 

Grunting and sighing, the four lions followed the Black Lion back to the castle. Lance opened a channel to Keith to whisper, “ _Duuuude._ How much power does Shiro and the Black Lion have?”

“You don’t want to cross him, Lance. He’ll make you clean every toilet of the castle. There’s 247.”

“Dude, what did you do?”

Keith pouted, and it was undeniably adorable. “You really do not want to cross him.”

Of course, Lance learned his lessons the hard way, and Shiro – well, he just ignored his. Instead of Shiro making _The Move_ on Allura, nothing happened. If anything, the unresolved tension between the two fizzled after the team discovered Zarkon was the original Black Paladin. They went from battle to battle, struggling through fights in the Thaldycon System, then on Olkarion, followed by Taujeer, the Blade of Marmora, and Balmera (again). 

Not to mention Allura’s sudden hatred of Keith. 

The team knew Shiro had a soft spot for the Red Paladin, and Allura’s open hostility toward Keith did not sit well with their leader. When Shiro and Allura’s breakfast rendezvouses, strategizing sessions, and afternoon workouts stopped abruptly, no one was surprised (though Coran had been thrilled). Whatever had been going on between them paused, and in its place, only the mission remained. 

Until the last night before they attacked Zarkon head on. Lance snuck out of his room and went one door over to check on Keith and to maybe, sorta get a handle on their “thing,” whatever it was. Unlike Keith, he wasn’t blind. He saw that the Red Paladin stared at him with an exasperated glower every time he flirted with another species, and Lance – well, he enjoyed watching Keith make those expressions. And with their very last battle approaching and the potential end of Team Voltron – Lance wanted to see hat Keith was thinking about doing after this. 

That was when he spotted Shiro coming out of Allura’s room. The leader’s vest was unzipped, his collar torn in a few places and revealing a bite mark and a few choice bruises. His hair stuck out in every which direction, a by-product from someone running their fingers through it again and again. And he carried his boots, so his bare feet made no noise on the metal floor. 

“Paw-some, Shiro!” Lance cheered. “You made _The Move._ ”

Shiro froze, halfway to the door on the other side of Keith’s, every bit as nervous as when caught by an advancing team of sentries. Shiro glanced down at disheveled clothing before his eyes lifted and narrowed, taking in Lance’s position. The Blue Paladin stood just before Keith’s room, hand poised over the lock, his own clothes light and not mission appropriate. 

After an intense beat, Shiro flashed a sheepish smile. “Use protection and we’ll never speak of this again?”

Lance nodded but crossed his fingers behind his back. “Sure. If you want to believe that.”

An irritated huff sounded at the edge of the corridor, and both Shiro and Lance whirled to see Coran standing there, a disapproving frown upon his face. 

“Two hundred forty-seven, gentlemen.” He nodded to each of them as he strolled past. “Two hundred forty-seven.”

That was all he said, but the message came through loud and clear. 

_Hurt them, and you’ll be on bathroom cleaning duty for the next ten thousand years._

It only took one glance toward Shiro to confirm the Black Paladin thought the same thing. 

Allura and Keith were worth the risk. 

_The End_


End file.
